< Numismatists often find themselves using the looking glass, as magnifiers were called in the 19th Century, to examine small but important details of a coin. . . for example, the Romans represented happiness, abundance, harmony and a variety of other concepts as personifications. Sometimes, the representation of a concept took on the aspect of a minor deity. As a digression, we might mention that the word deity comes from deus, which in turn comes from the Greek Zeus or chief Olympian god. The trouble with personifications is that they all look more or less alike. The average man on the street, even if well educated, would have difficulty interpreting the meaning of a personification if there weren. t some distinguishing characteristic. Being well aware of this, artists - past and present - avoid confusion by depicting personifications (and deities) with certain *attributes*. . .

The standard "text book" attributes of >Fortuna< (for example) are the cornucopia and the rudder. The cornucopia, or "horn of plenty" is a symbol of abundance. It consists of a wicker basket, from which normally spills a variety of fruits and vegetables. The rudder is one of the most important parts of a ship, guiding its course and providing stability. Fortuna was seen by the ancients not only as a personification, but as a minor deity that guided the affairs of state and life in general. As such, the rudder symbolized her powers in this respect.